I call her Angel
by Redd Handprints on my wall
Summary: Some children grow up loving life. Some children grow up hating life. But some children grow up without a life. Follow Caleb and Ethan's struggle through childhood, adolescence and maybe even see them live until adulthood as they get hurt over and over again by their abusive father Jack Hardy.


**Hello all! You don't know me… and I don't know you, but hopefully you will all learn to love my story – maybe even as much as I love all of yours – and believe me that IS a LOT! Anyway, it's my first fic in a while, because I got a bit bored with the other one, but let's all hope I can stay put with this little baby, because I really wouldn't like you all to wish me into hell.**

 **On another note, I do NOT own casualty, despite my best efforts at attempting to murder the existing owner (turns out he isn't a demon and even if he was all thirteen colt bullets are gone and I aint making no devil's trap or doing any exorcisms today) So, wish me luck and on with the story…**

 **Chapter One:**

Scott D. Davis' 'Nothing else Matters' ( watch?v=4sZK4Hd28VA) played throughout the empty hallways, echoing off the bare whitewashed walls in a forbidden essence of musical beauty. Each note piercing effortlessly through the blazing silence which had once reigned within the lifeless walls of the hollow heart of the house, bringing with them a new found hope.

From his bedroom desk, twelve year old Caleb Knight watched in awe as a deep crimson liquid dripped from his finger tip – marvelling as the perfect spherical drop crashed into the testing strip below it, shattering into a messy puddle of blood. He chuckled silently, inserted the strip into his meter and waited for the number to show on the screen.

5.3

Elsewhere within the endless maze of corridors and balconies sat a smaller boy of around nine or ten. His dirty blonde hair lay in a tangled mass, hanging over his face in great clumps and obscuring his eyes from viewing the emptiness surrounding him.

Ethan Hardy.

His legs were crossed, and cradled within his frail arms lay a baby. A baby girl. She was tiny, miniscule in fact. Her wrinkled face looked ready to cry out, scream, yet she somehow held it in, instead remaining mute, as if somehow knowing not to make a sound.

Caleb was coming now, ready to take the baby from his brother's arms. No words were spoken, but Ethan knew what it was that he wanted – hell they all did.

Then it stopped.

The music was gone and the silence that the children forever provided now spread outwards, encasing the entire house in a fragile shell of stillness.

'Cal!' Ethan mouthed, the sound not yet spilling from his lips 'it's time.' He pointed to his writ as he said this, quick to get the point across.

Then a door crashed open below them, smashing against the hard brick of the wall beside it.

Next, large crashes were heard as something made its way around the house.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

They got louder and louder, bringing with them the unwanted beat of a different song.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Closer now, the deafening footfall had reached the doorway. They paused.

The door cracked tremendously as it opened, falling off at the hinges and falling forwards.

Cal grabbed his brother, pulling him behind the settee, out of view, shielding from whatever pain was to come. The baby was gone too, now sheltered inside Ethan's protective grasp.

"Jack." Cal spoke defiantly, trying to stay calm, calm for Ethan. It didn't work.

"Mr Hopkins said he saw your mum with Mr Myers." Jack stumbled over, clearly drunk, "But we know that's a lie." The six foot six man towered above his son, grotesquely sniffing back a cold, whilst looking down upon the boy in disgust, like one would look at unwanted vermin. "Don't we?"

"I don…" Caleb's fearful voice was inaudible, less than a whisper, only to be suddenly cut off by a sharp slap across his cheek. The sound rung in Cal's ears for a few seconds, reverberating off his ear drums, temporarily deafening him.

"DON'T LIE TO ME BOY!" Jack's face was purple by now and Caleb could clearly see beads of sweat rolling down his temple, as one thick blue vein throbbed menacingly on his brow, hinting at the man's true colours.

Cal looked up at his dad, well step dad, the appearance of fear wiped away from his face as he glared up at the looming man in determined disgust. There was no element of surprise though. This had happened before.

" _Dad_." Caleb spoke calmly, arrogant even, as he faced up to his _father_ , staring into those bleak, black eyes. Every inch of fright had instantly been removed, in a way much like water in a colander, leaving him defiant – ready for this.

The next blow was less of a shock. It thundered into his midsection, almost in slow motion, colliding with Caleb's flesh with a massive amount of anger. The boy bent double, clutching at his winded stomach as the pain flashed through him.

"That was for your mother." Jack spat, his saliva raining over his son. "I bet she _hates_ you." He emphasised the hates, scrunching his face up with force as he forced the repulsive filth from his corpulent lips.

This was it, Cal couldn't take it. They were lies. All of it. Weren't they? Either way, he couldn't take it, as moments later his own fist slammed into Jack's chest, barely knocking the bulkier man backwards.

Jack laughed. "That all you got, boy?" His hiss of a voice mocking, as he pounded his iron fist into his left hand a few times to emphasis his strength. "I" He chuckled, menacingly "Will _destroy_ you." He carried on laughing, although he was the only one – the cold sound slashing through the deadly silence like a sharp knife cutting through butter.

His arm swung back, building up power as he struck his son again, across the back of the head, only tutting at Caleb's weakness as he fell to the floor in pain.

"You're useless." He kicked him in the back, watching as he collapsed forwards, falling heavily on top of his left arm, then he kicked him again – now in the head as one final blow, rendering the teen unconscious. "Worthless."

Ethan gasped, quickly throwing his hand over his mouth in shock as he watched from his hiding place.

As his dad walked past the door again, Ethan leapt backwards, scared that Jack would start on him next. He knew his dad was brutal, but Cal normally fought back. This time however, he had just stood, welcoming the discomfort and pain as if he knew it would eventually take him away to a better place. This wasn't the brother he knew.

He could still see Caleb; his body sprawled messily across the creaky floor as his tightly closed eyes stayed unchanged, his unconscious body limp and lifeless.

Almost dead.

 **Oooooh 01:42 a m aren't I lucky? But really, school in 2 days' time – I think I'm gonna die. I mean why have school? Surely it's just a waste of time, my mum and sister have both got through life so far by just saying how many GCSE's they've got (and that's if they even need to mention them at all) because NOBODY CARES WHAT GRADE THEY GOT BECAUSE SCHOOL IS POINTLESS. It's just like the Niall Horan of life. TOTALLY UNNEEDED.**

 **On another note, please review – it makes me smile a lot.** **J**


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